NZ714982A - Barbeque - Google Patents

Abstract

burner system for an outdoor barbeque has electronically controllable, variable flow, gas valves and an electronic controller for the valves.

Description

Barbeque Field of the Invention The invention relates to grills and barbeques and more particularly to grills and barbeques having electronic ignition.

Background of the Invention Gas barbeques are well known. Gas barbeques for outdoor use, use a variety of different burner styles including both open flame and infrared burner systems. A barbeque for outdoor use must resist deterioration from weather and water. The controls for such barbeque include, both mechanical gas valves for each of the burners and one or more mechanical controllers and spark generators for the ignition system associated with each burner. The mechanical knobs for the gas valves and the mechanical buttons for the ignition system and probe to weathering and each complicates the inevitable cleaning that a barbeque requires.

Objects and Summary It is an object of the invention to provide an outdoor gas barbeque having no externally mounted mechanical knobs or buttons.

It is another object of the invention to provide a barbeque that is entirely controlled from an electronic touch panel or membrane style touch panel. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the touch panel may be flush with an exterior surface of the barbeque.

Brief Description of the Drawing Figures In order that the invention be better understood, reference is now made to the following drawing figures in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a barbeque.

Figure 2 is a front elevation, in cross section, of the barbeque depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation, in cross section, of the barbeque depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the barbeque depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of four burners as used in the barbeque depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a perspective view enlarging details depicted in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a schematic cross section of a barbeque plate with insert.

Figure 8 is a plan view of an insert support.

Figure 9 is a plan view of an insert support.

Figure 10 is a schematic cross sectional view of a bayonet mounting between an insert and a barbeque plate.

Figure 11 is a top plan view of an opening in a plate having female bayonet features.

Figure 12 is a schematic cross section of an insert.

Best Mode and Other Embodiments of the Invention As shown in Figure 1, a four burner barbeque 100 comprises a variety of sheet metal chassis parts, for example stainless steel. An outdoor barbeque may have any number of burners. In this example, the barbeque is mounted, from the top, through a rectangular opening in a heatproof bench top. A preferably stainless steel hob 101 is mounted above the bench top and has a pair of side by side openings 102, 103. A front margin of the hob has an opening for receiving or mounting an electronic controller in the form of a preferably single and unitary touch controller 104. The controller may have a glass interface panel 104a.

Each opening 102, 103 is surrounded by four descending sidewalls 105.

The descending sidewalls of each opening support a preferably removable and surrounding burner enclosures 106, 107. Each enclosure is preferably rectangular and has an upper lip 108 for engaging a lower lip 109 on each of the descending sidewalls 105. Each of the enclosures 106,107 has a floor panel 109 below it. The floor panel includes mechanical features such as tabs 110 for supporting brackets or the infrared burner assemblies 111, as required. In this example, each floor panel 109 supports two infrared burner assemblies 111. In preferred embodiments, the burner assemblies 111 are specifically for outdoor barbeques. Each has a gas inlet or burner tube 112 that extend through the arch of a mounting bracket 113. Each burner tube 112 has a replaceable jet.

The jet fits or screws into the end of the burner tubes. These tubes may have a jet fitting that screws to the tube and the jet screws into this jet fitting, or it may screw directly to the tube. This burner tube sits inside the burner opening.

The touch panel 120 is mounted through the opening 104, from below.

A protective enclosure 121 surrounds the sides and bottom of the controller 120 and its upper rim is mounted to the underside of the hob 101. The hob is preferably constructed from 316 marine grade stainless steel.

Each of the enclosures 107 comprises a central opening 130 defined by surrounding floor surfaces 131. The floor surfaces collect and channel drippings from the barbeque toward an opening. The drip openings 132 is formed adjacent to a sidewall closest to the lateral centre line of the barbeque.

The drip openings 132 are both located above a sliding and removable drip tray 133. The drip tray is supported by a pair of rails 134 that are mounted adjacent to a front opening 135 in the primary chassis 136. The primary chassis is preferably fabricated from commercial grade 304 stainless steel.

The chassis also includes, on its front surface, a pair of gas inlet access openings 137, one for each pair of burners 111. Any open flame or infrared gas burner with a ceramic grid may be used. In these examples an infrared burner is shown. The chassis is provided with ventilation openings 138 on its side, back and underside surfaces.

A fascia 140 is also provided for mounting on a front surface of the bench that supports the hob 101. The fascia 140 comprises a pair of ventilation openings 141 that are in registry with the access openings 137. A rectangular through opening 142 allows a sub-fascia and handle assembly 143 of the drip tray to be flush mounted with respect to the fascia 140 such that the drip tray can be fully removed through the opening 142 while still attached to the rails 134.

Each of the openings in the hob 101 is covered by grill plates, for example, metal enamel or cast plates 150. The grill plates are preferably provided in pairs, one pair for each opening 103. In preferred embodiments, uninterrupted flat grill plates are located laterally outside of the slotted grill plates 151. This arrangement prevents centrally located components of the barbeque from overheating. In preferred embodiments, black quartz panels, for example, rectangular panels 160 are supported by the enclosures 107 and below the grill plates. The panels 160 may be black quartz, clear quartz, black ceramic glass, clear ceramic glass or any other heat resistant ceramic glass material. This material must also be resistant to thermal shock to avoid cracking or breakage form spillage of cooler liquids. This material must also pass the infrared rays from the infrared burners. These panels are only used above infrared burners. If standard convection gas burners are used, these high temperature glass panels 160 are not used. Each of the pairs of grill plates is provided with a separate lid, for example a black quartz lid 161, 162 having a centrally located handle 163.

As shown in Figure 2, the left side enclosure 106 has its drip opening 132 located adjacent to the right sidewall 200. Similarly, the drip opening 132 of the right enclosure 107 is located adjacent to the left sidewall. This allows both drip openings 132 to discharge into the centrally located and removable drip tray 133. A gas safety valve or other fail safe device 250 may be located at the inlet to the manifold 503 that supplies gas to the burners. In this example, it is located under the left floor plate 202.

As shown in Figure 3, the hob 101 has an upper circumferential flange 301. The hob may be made flat using stainless steel for example 4 mm or it may have a fold or bend or chamfer 350 around the perimeter angled slightly to the benchtop to give the outside strength. The flange 301 rests on the upper surface 302 of a bench. A front surface 303 supports the fascia 140. The proximal end of each burner’s gas inlet 112 is shown protruding through the front surface 304 of the primary chassis. The preferably perforated protective shrouds 170 as shown in Figure 1 are affixed to the front surface of the chassis to protect the components located within each of the shrouds.

As shown in plan view in Figure 4, in preferred embodiments, the touch style controller and its control surface 401 may be located along a front edge of the hob 101.

As shown in Figure 5, the electronic burner controller 500 comprises an electronic switching user interface 501 that is preferably waterproof. In preferred embodiments, the controller is below a printed glass panel 104a that may be glued to the underside of the flange 31. The glass panel provides a user interface and may waterproof the controller which it is above and cooperates with. The controller presents individual controls for each of the electronic variable gas valves 502 supplied with gas from the gas manifold 503. Thus, one electrical lead 504 extends between the controller 500 and one, some or each of the four valves 502. The electronic controller 500 also has an electrical lead or wire connection 505 to an ignition controller 506. The only burners that ignite and burn are the burners that have had their valves energised. Depending upon which of the burner’s igniters is selected at the interface 501, the ignition controller 506 will send the appropriate electrical output to the selected burner’s spark generator for creating a spark. Each burner also has an electrical output 507 associated with its flame sensor.

When no flame is present, the flame sensor communicates electronically with the controller 500 to cause the controller to switch off the appropriate outlet of the manifold.

As shown in Figure 6, the ignition controller 506 has outputs 601 that at least equal in number to the number of electronically controlled burners 101. In the example of Figure 6, one of the outputs 601 is shown as being electrically connected 602 to the electronic spark input 603 of an adjacent burner 101. Conduits extend from each valve 502 to each of the burner’s gas inlets or burner tubes 112.

As shown in Figure 7, a barbeque plate 700 may be provided with a central opening 701 that is adapted to receive a preferably removable and replaceable insert 702. The insert may have elevated upper surface features 703 or depressions 704. The surface feature 703, 704 of the insert 702 brown or char the underside of a food product that is cooked in the plate. When the surface feature 703, 704 are in the shape of a picture, symbol or word, they will leave an imprint of same on the underside of the aforementioned food.

The insert may include an underside cavity 705. In the example of Figure 7, the insert includes one or more fastening posts 706 that extend downwardly past the lower surface 707 of the insert. In this example, the fastening posts 706 pass through openings 707 formed on one or more insert supports 708 that are affixed to an underside 709 of the plate 700. The fastening post 706 may have threads 710 for receiving a threaded fastener 711. The fastener 711 prevents inadvertent withdrawal of the insert 702. In other embodiments, the fastening post 706 may be provided with a transverse through opening for receiving a removable pin 712 that prevents inadvertent withdrawal of the insert unless the pin 712 is removed. As shown in this example, the insert 702 is supported from its underside 707 by the upper surface of the supports 708.

As shown in Figure 8, an insert support 708 may be in the form of a flat bracket having an optional central opening 801. The bracket of support is preferably welded to an underside 709 of the plate 700, the plate having a central opening 801 that overlaps with the support and allows the two to be joined to one another, for example by spot welding of fasteners. In alternate embodiments, the support 708 is formed integrally with the plate. The support 708 includes one or more openings 707 that receive the mounting posts 706 of the insert 702.

As shown in Figure 9, the insert support 708 may take the form of one or more tabs 901 that are affixed to the underside the plate 709. At least one of the tabs has a through opening 707 for receiving the one or more support posts 706.

As shown in Figures 10, 11 and 12 the removable insert 1000 may be removably affixed to the plate 1001 utilising a bayonet mechanisim 1002. In this example, the female component of the bayonet is carried by the plate 1000, in this example, a round opening 1101 receives a round insert 1000. The opening 1101 features a pair of diametrically opposed recesses 1102, 1103 that are adapted to receive the male bayonet features 1003 that extend from an under surface 1004 of the insert 1000. The male bayonet feature 1003 pass through the vertical channels or recesses 1103. However, when the insert is rotated, the male bayonet features 1003 prevent the inadvertent withdrawal of the insert 1000. In this example, the upper surface of the insert 1000 forms a flange 1005 that sits within a circumferential step 1006 that surrounds the opening 1101. This allows the upper surface of the insert to be flush with the upper surface of the plate 1000. The flange 1005 locates the upper surface and prevents it from descending further than the upper surface of the plate 1000.

As shown in Figures 10 and 12, the male bayonet feature 1003 may be integrally formed with the insert, for example when the insert is cast. In the alternative, the male bayonet feature 1003 may consist of a tab or enlargement 1201 that is affixed to a retaining post 1202. The retaining post 1202 may be integral with the insert 1203 or affixed to it such as by a threaded connection or welding. The enlargement 1201 may be affixed to the retaining post by a fastener 1204.

Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.

As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the use of the ordinal adjectives "first", "second", "third", etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “example” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an example” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or example, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.

Similarly it should be appreciated that in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Any claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.

Thus, while there has been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the invention.

While the present invention has been disclosed with reference to particular details of construction, these should be understood as having been provided by way of example and not as limitations to the scope of the invention.

Claims (5)

What is claimed is:

1. A burner system for a gas barbeque, comprising: a burner assembly; an electronically controllable gas valve that supplies a variable flow of gas to the burner assembly in accordance with signals received from an electronic burner controller.

2. The burner assembly of claim 1, wherein: the burner controller is electronic, having a user interface sealed by a glass panel.

3. The burner assembly of either of claims 1 or 2, wherein: the burner is an infrared burner.

4. The burner system of any one of claims 1-3, further comprising: a stainless steel nob having an opening for receiving the electronic burner controller.

5. The burner system of any one of claims 1-4, further comprising: an ignition controller having a lead to at least one burner selectable from the electronic controller.